A/n: My excuses this time, are that third semester is the busiest and hardest (according to previous second years, and I concur it must be true based on what I've experienced so far) and I have discovered the show "Kyle XY" and have been watching episodes like mad. I also wanted to say that I have actually finished writing this story in my notebook (I wrote "THE END" and everything!), so now it's just a matter of updating. :P


Chapter 29

If Hermione had thought the Entrance Hall had been beautiful, it was nothing compared to the sight that greeted her eyes upon entering the Great Hall. It was more magnificent than Hermione had ever seen it and she gasped loudly as a result.

Like the Yule Ball in her fourth year, all the House Tables had been replaced by many smaller round tables. Unlike the Yule Ball, however, which had been decorated festively for Christmas, the Hall was now covered in brilliant Halloween decorations of every description. Several hundred pumpkins of varying sizes and shapes floated high above them, each with a warm flickering candle buried inside. Bats flew up near the ceiling, which displayed the clear, starry sky outside. Golden orange cloth was draped like curtains or banners around the Hall's walls. All the round tables had sparkling black table cloths atop them complimenting the seats of mahogany chairs placed around the tables. In the center of each table was a large glass bowl filled with what looked like water, though it would repeatedly stand up out of the bowl and create different shapes and reflect different colors.

Each person in the Hall was in costume and that perhaps was what made the Hall the most captivating. Everywhere Hermione looked there was a new splash of color. She spotted people dressed as different Quidditch players, wild animals, and mythical creatures. There were people dressed as fictional characters, Muggle or wizard celebrities. She saw people dressed as odd things like food items or household objects. She noticed many clever outfits too: one boy was wearing plain clothes with loud numbers taped randomly across his body, while a sign across his chest boldly read, "A friend you can count on".

Hermione and Cedric took a seat at an empty table and were shortly joined by Ewan (as Sirius Black) and a girl named Hayley (who was going as Ewan's screaming fan girl), and Pansy and Draco. Hermione giggled when Ewan sat down, as he was sporting a wig of shaggy black hair that was actually very similar to Sirius' real mop of hair. He had on a black t-shirt with a bright version of the Weird Sisters' logo displayed on it, a shining black vest with silver zippers, tall black combat boots, and long fitted black jeans. The bit that was making Hermione and then the others laugh, however, aside from the black nail polish (which Pansy, the "Sirius expert", insisted Sirius only wore during concerts) and the dog tags around Ewan's neck (which Hermione found highly amusing because she knew of Sirius' Animagus form), was the way Ewan had borrowed Hayley's black eye-liner to draw dark stubble and a small mustache across his face and to darken his eyebrows. The fact that he had used the eye-liner at all, let alone to color his eyebrows, was the source of much amusement and non-stop jokes all the way until the feast appeared on their tables.

"How else was I supposed to achieve his look!" Ewan shouted good-naturedly for the hundredth time.

The food was, of course, as magnificent as everything else so far. Though the round tables were relatively small, they still managed to hold a spectacular array of food. Besides that, the tables were close enough together that food could easily be passed between tables if need be, though far enough away so it was not too crowded to walk between. Hermione sampled as much of the superb food as possible, positive it had never before been this good at Hogwarts, though she was careful to leave room for dessert.

After dessert – which was more amazing than Hermione could have guessed could be served at Hogwarts – came the Halloween dance. The food disappeared from the tables, followed by all the plates and cutlery. Everyone began standing up from their tables and moving to one side of the Hall so that the tables could be pushed out of the way to create a dance floor.

The music was provided by a very short man with puffy black and green hair named Kleon (Hermione soon learned he was the wizard equivalent of a Muggle DJ). Kleon stood on a stool behind some strange looking boxes and equipment and tapped his wand at a panel the students could not see. When the music began, it seemed to come from everywhere and was neither too loud or too quiet. Kleon smiled toothily and danced as best as he could atop his stool.

Hermione danced primarily with Cedric, though on most of the faster songs, she danced in a group with her friends. People milled and danced all across the floor including – Hermione received the shock of her life to see – Professors Snape, Sprout, Sinstra, Flitwick, Vector, Grubbly-Planks and Dumbledore. McGonagall remained at the Head Table, glowering at everyone and snapping at anyone who came too close.

Kleon played a few slow songs here and there, including an old ballad by a Muggle named Louis Armstrong called "Moon River", which Hermione found to be a soothing, dreamy sort of song. On these slower songs, Hermione danced in Cedric's arms and prayed for time to crawl. She refused to know what time it was, for it would only remind her how little time she had left.

"You all right?" asked Cedric quietly in her ear during one slow song.

Hermione sighed sadly. "At the moment." She answered honestly.

He kissed the top of her head. "Me too."

Looking out at the other couples on the floor, their faces slightly in shadow because of the dimmed candles, the music tinkling along a sweet melody, Hermione smiled.

This is perfect. She thought. Please just freeze this moment… etch it into my memory forever…

Just a few moments later, the song ended and Hermione reluctantly pulled away from Cedric. She was just opening her mouth to say something to him when Kleon spoke into his wand and his voice was magnified several times, filling the Hall. He said,

"All-righty everybody, it's close to midnight and for this next song, I want to see you all up and dancing!" He looked over to McGonagall who looked murderous and didn't move a muscle. The next song began and it was a high energy, peppy song, but Hermione wasn't listening.

"It's what?!" she said panickedly.

"Almost midnight." Draco answered easily then snapped his attention worriedly back to Hermione. "Oh no, it's almost midnight."

Hermione's throat constricted and her heart began to race. "I… I've got to go." She said haltingly. Suddenly, she didn't know what to do. Her friends all looked anxious or sad and she didn't want to leave the glorious feast and dance. At the same time, part of her was pulling for her to hurry or she could lose Harry and Ron forever. Deep down, no matter how much she loved this world or any particular part of it, she knew she couldn't stay, knew she couldn't bear to stay – not forever.

She turned to Cedric. "I'll come with you." He said quickly.

"Cedric, you can't – "

"As far as I can." He finished firmly.

She didn't know what to say, so she faced her friends again. Fortunately they at least had an idea of what to do next. They hastily moved forward and hugged her one by one.

"We'll miss you." Said Draco.

"You'll have your old Hermione back after all this, though." Hermione said shakily.

"But we'll still miss you." Smiled Vinny.

"You'd better hurry." Greg nodded his head at the clock. There were less than ten minutes left until midnight.

Pansy was the last to embrace Hermione and the most tearful.

"Say 'bye to Ally for me." Hermione whispered, holding back her own tears abruptly threatening to spill out.

Pansy nodded and squeaked emotionally, "Bye then."

Cedric gave Hermione's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You're running out of time." He said quietly.

Hermione blinked hard. "I know." She mumbled. Then, in true Cinderella fashion, she turned and tore from the Hall, minutes before midnight, Prince Charming close behind.


They dashed through the castle until they reached the room where Hermione had been making her potion. She clutched the stitch in her side as her hair fell out of her up-do in frayed strands and chunks.

Sweat poured down Cedric's face and he was looking extremely sickly again; the energy potion from Madame Pomfrey he'd taken earlier had worn off during the run.

"This is it." panted Hermione, throwing open the door. Butterflies seemed to be swarming madly inside her stomach as she looked upon the familiar contents of the room. The cauldron on the floor bubbled excitedly and was a pleasing shade of blue-green, much like the ocean. It smelled like the ocean too, as a very salty, fresh smell reached them.

Hermione turned to Cedric. Again, she felt stuck for words as mixed emotions battled through her. "Ced, I… I wouldn't have traded a second of our time together… for anything."

He nodded. "Me… neither." He sucked in his breath and seemed to fighting off a severe wave of nausea. His pale complexion now had a nasty green tinge to it. He staggered sideways.

Hermione caught his arm and leaned him against the wall so he wouldn't fall. This is my fault. She thought. My stupid wish is wearing off and this is what's happening to people who are not supposed to be alive. Not for the first time, she hated her wish. Yet at the same time, she truly meant what she'd said to Cedric: she wouldn't have traded their time together for anything.

"Are you all right?" she asked, knowing he wasn't going to be if she lingered any longer.

"Go." He whispered. He too, knew everything would only get worse if Hermione didn't get to her potion. There was only about one or two minutes left before midnight struck, and the potion would no longer do its job. "Hermione, you've got to go."

"I don't want to leave you like this…"

"You're going to have to." Cedric forced a weak smile and then slid down the wall so he could sit on the floor. "I'll be alright."

Tears stung her eyes again and she blinked hard to force them away.

"Your world is waiting for you to come back to it." He was starkly pale and seemed to be weakening by the second, which made Hermione want to simultaneously stay and leave even more.

She glanced back at the potion which was starting to sputter like a dying vehicle. She was almost out of time.

Cedric coughed, fought away another wave of nausea and allowed his eyelids to close. Hermione thought of Ally and the article in the Prophet, and all the people lying in Mango's because of her. She thought of Sirius and –

"Wait." She said and hurried into the room. Sitting near the cauldron was a small stack of letters, neatly bound together. Her "things I never got to say" letters. She snatched them up and ran to Cedric. "Cedric, you have to do something for me." She did her best to keep her voice steady as she spoke. "Do you hear me?"

He forced his eyes open, started to nod then whispered, "Yeah."

She placed the bundle of letters in his lap and found her vision suddenly blurred by tears. "Give these to Pansy. She'll figure out what to do with them. All right?"

"Yeah." Cedric answered softly.

Hermione glanced back at the cauldron. The potion was bubbling even less now and the steam was beginning to disappear. She looked up at a clock in the hallway. She had seconds before the potion would not work…

"I'll miss you." Said Hermione as the tears broke free and slid down her flushed cheeks.

Barely audible, Cedric murmured, "…love you." He kept his eyes trained on hers.

Hermione stared one last time into those Pensieve-deep gray eyes, gently kissed those lips one last time and pulled away. "I love you too, Cedric Diggory."

Then, as she'd been planning for so long, Hermione crouched beside the cauldron with a large glass in her hand. She scooped up a near full glass of the potion, shut her eyes tight against more tears and put the glass to her trembling lips.

She drank the entire contents of the glass in one breath.


A/n: Uh-oh, did she cut it too close? Did the potion work? Or did she run out of time and it didn't work after all? Unfortunately you have to wait until the next chapter. Mwah ha ha... I would love any feedback or thoughts on this chapter. I personally don't like some specific things about it, even though I re-vamped it several times. So let me know! Reviews are like oxygen. More soon. :D